Lattices

The set of integers (or rationals or reals) is a poset where \(a \leq b\) has the usual meaning for two integers \(a\) and \(b\) in \({\mathbb Z}\).

Let \(X\) be any set. We will define the power set of \(X\) to be the set of all subsets of \(X\). We denote the power set of \(X\) by \({\mathcal P}(X)\). For example, let \(X = \{ a, b, c \}\). Then \({\mathcal P}(X)\) is the set of all subsets of the set \(\{ a, b, c \}\): \[\begin{aligned}& \emptyset & & \{ a \} & & \{ b \} & & \{ c \} & \\ & \{ a, b \} & & \{ a, c\} & &\{ b, c\} & & \{ a, b, c \}. &\end{aligned}\] On any power set of a set \(X\), set inclusion, \(\subset\), is a partial order. We can represent the order on \(\{ a, b, c \}\) schematically by a diagram such as the one in .

Let \(G\) be a group. The set of subgroups of \(G\) is a poset, where the partial order is set inclusion.

There can be more than one partial order on a particular set. We can form a partial order on \({\mathbb N}\) by \(a \preceq b\) if \(a \mid b\). The relation is certainly reflexive since \(a \mid a\) for all \(a \in {\mathbb N}\). If \(m \mid n\) and \(n \mid m\), then \(m = n\); hence, the relation is also antisymmetric. The relation is transitive, because if \(m \mid n\) and \(n \mid p\), then \(m \mid p\).